My Love Visits!

The day I got back from spring break my friend Diana (who is in the marching band at USC with me and is also going to be my roommate next year) flew in to visit London for her spring break. Her visit was jammed packed. On the 14th we went to the South Bank to ride the London Eye. We walked around that area, browsed a small outdoor used book market (which also sold old maps... something I collect so I'll have to go back!), and had pasties for dinner (a British food which is kind of like a chicken pot pie in to-go form).

Diana and I on the London Eye

March 15th - We went on a tour of the remake of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre (the original burned down). It is a lot bigger from the inside than you would think. They still offer shows that have tickets for the "groundlings," or audience the stands in front of the stage. It would definitely be a fun experience. Next we headed to Tate Modern, which is in a massive, scary, dungeon-like building that does not scream "liberal art!" at all. The museum was great though... there were Warhol, Picasso, Monet, and many other superb works. There were also video rooms of self-mutilation videos from the 70s and 80s that were really disturbing... but something you can't really NOT see. We walked across the Millenium Bridge (or Wibbly Wobbly Bridge... nicknamed because when it was first built it would sway when it was windy... they closed it almost immediately after it was opened to reinforce it) and headed to St. Paul's Cathedral. Inside the cathedral is just breathtakingly beautiful. We did the 584 step climb to the Golden Gallery, which is a small level above the dome. The steps are steep, skinny, and exhausting... just thinking back on it is almost making me break a sweat haha. The viewing gallery is terrifying because there is only a metal railing and it gets really windy! Such a great view of all of London though. That night we went to see Les Miserables at the Queen's Theatre. It was so good! The girl who played Eponine was really endearing and, of course, the music was just extraordinary. It is probably my favorite show I have seen in London so far.

inside the Globe Theatre
walking across the Millenium Bridge
on top of St. Paul's
view from St. Paul's

March 16th - I had class in the morning but afterwards I took her to Buckingham Palace and briefly to Hyde Park. Our next stop was afternoon tea at Harrods! I have been wanting to go to high tea the entire semester so I was really excited. We got unlimited food and pots of tea. Everything was impeccable and we felt so proper haha... and also slightly out of place of some other the delicate ladies there. Very fun though! I took her shopping at some stores that are only in the UK and out to a great fish n chips place for dinner. I left for Dublin the next day so we just relaxed and got food in the morning until I left. She met up with another friend in London for the rest of the week.